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‘Star Wars: Episode IX’ to be Shot on 65mm Film

You’ll probably recall that back in the early days of Episode VII Kathleen Kennedy said that they would be taking an old-school approach to the way that they would be making the Star Wars Sequel Trilogy. We knew J.J. Abrams preference to shoot on 35mm over digital, stating at Produced By Conference “I have not yet shot a movie digitally. Film is the thing I am most comfortable with. If film were to go away—and digital is challenging it—then the standard for the highest, best quality would go away.” Then, Rian Johnson confirmed on twitter that he would also be shooting Episode VIII on 35mm and would have shot on 65mm but couldn’t for “logistical reasons.”

@LaRabiaCompany I really wanted to, but for some specific logistical reasons we’re sticking with 35.

Now comes confirmation via PlaylistthatColin Trevorrow (Jurassic World) will shoot Star Wars: Episode IX on the larger, 65mm format. This is fantastic news for film enthusiasts, and shows a real commitment to keeping the incredible format alive, as well as the fact that Kodak’s facility in the United Kingdom has just gained the capabilities to handle the format. Also revealed in the article was the great news that cinematographer, John Schwartzman (Armageddon) will be returning to Colin Trevorrow’s side after the success of Jurassic World.

The news that Trevorrow will be shooting in 65mm is exciting to say the least. It’s a format that has slowly been making its way back from an uncertain future, with filmmakers like Paul Thomas Anderson (The Master), and the vocal Quentin Tarantino (The Hateful Eight) utilizing it recently to bring back that old-school cinema experience. I’m hoping this news means that the format might be embraced by more theaters worldwide so that the films can be seen the way that their filmmakers intended, enabling us to see these films the way they were intended to be seen!